A couple of weeks ago my friend Liz and I ventured to a spot in Los Angeles that we've always read about in gossip rags, but never experienced for ourselves. "The Chateau", aka Chateau Marmont, is a hot spot, ultra-exclusive hotel and lounge located on Sunset. While they do not allow entrance into the hotel unless you are a guest (or with a guest...maybe someday?), the "normal people", like us, are granted the opportunity to frequent the lounge/bar adjacent to the hotel.
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The lounge is dark and elegant, with a bit of a sophisticated speak easy feel, while still holding onto its California, West coast, casual chic. We arrived around 10:45pm (on a Wednesday) and found it just beginning to fill up. By 11:30pm, it was getting more and more crowded, much of the clientele looked like industry types or hipster, band dudes in fedoras, vests and skinny jeans.
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The ceiling is covered with hanging butterflies and ornate, beautiful chandeliers that make the ambiance sort of mystical and eclectic. The bartender herself was wearing a butterfly in her sassy up do' that tied the whole scene together quite well (very L.A.). The people watching was incredible and Liz and I would chat for a few minutes and then get distracted by some character at the bar. We love to make up stories about what we think their lives are like and write their bios--adding details back and forth. We were engrossed in giggling and catching up, but we both agreed that it was a very cool place to sit and have a drink.
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The Chateau Marmont sign peeking out from the lush greenery that surrounds the place.
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View driving up along Sunset.
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Swanky indeed.